


the way our horizons meet (and guide us home)

by ballumschmallum



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: M/M, Soulmate AU, a cute valentines fic!!, ballum - Freeform, ben and callum are soulmates of course!!, ben x callum, but it's soulmate based so thats romantic enough right??, like they are in every universe, that's not set on valentine's day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:34:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29412006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ballumschmallum/pseuds/ballumschmallum
Summary: It was something cosmic, something that wouldn’t be spoken into existence because this feeling doesn’t exist. It is false, a feeling that is only made for stories with happy endings. And happy endings do not exist. Not in Ben’s world.or ben mitchell randomly meets callum highway when he accidentally spills his drink over him. since then callum keeps appearing in ben's life and he doesn't know why but it sets his heart into overdrive every single time.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell, Jay Brown/Lola Pearce
Comments: 11
Kudos: 38





	the way our horizons meet (and guide us home)

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is dedicated to yasi just for being a lovely person and for making our ballum fandom complete and it wouldn't shine as bright without her in it<3 
> 
> this is my first soulmate AU and over 9k words later...i had great fun writing it! also, this is my FOURTH fic of 2021 - i'm breaking a new record for myself and i'm very proud of that haha!
> 
> anyway, enjoy this fic, stay safe and happy valentines day to you all!!xx

_ Soulmate _ was always an overused term, Ben had always thought. He did not truly believe in it even if everyone was supposed to have their destined person to be with, as if it was written in the stars. A silent vow that is spread across the many galaxies and universes. It was like Cupid was sitting on a white fluffy cloud and hovering above everyone with his little bow and arrow as he allocated people their  _ special person _ , deciding on their destinies for them on a red string of fate.

Putting it into perspective, Ben always used to rant about what happened to people making their own decisions in life, deciding on their own future. 

Except for when it came to love of course. 

The  _ heavenly gods  _ up above were in charge of that.

Some heavenly highly worshipped gods with halos hovering over their heads that lay on their big cosy blanket as they aligned the shooting stars across the many universes and where it rained love hearts and galloping unicorns. Apparently it was  _ their _ right and  _ their _ duty to make those life-changing decisions.

And that’s where Ben thought it was wrong. Ben was never a high believer of love but he even thought that people should have the right to feel real and proper love, with whoever they wanted.

And that’s  _ exactly _ why Ben had given up on it. Ben had given up on love.

He never expected it. Ben had always been told that they can appear when you least expect it, at any point in your life. He was quite happy with the way his life was as he met up with random hook ups. He was never bothered with finding his soulmate. He always used to laugh about it whenever someone questioned him about finding his  _ actual _ soulmate. 

Until a couple of years ago, he met the fuzziest hearted man called Paul Coker. A man who would have loved heaven and earth just so he could be with him. A man who made his heart almost want to come pounding out of his chest,  _ almost _ .

He really could have spent  _ forever _ running his fingers through his soft luscious locks and cuddling up on the sofa with pizza, watching musical after musical. Ben thought it would never end. He thought that was his destiny, where he should be. 

Ben loved Paul with all his heart and when he was with him, he was in a happy place that he never wanted to leave behind. That he never wanted to shut the door on,  _ ever _ . 

Ben really thought that Paul was his soulmate, that he was his destiny. Strong warmth and happiness filled his chest whenever Paul was around and for the first time in his life, he genuinely felt safe.

Until it got horrifically snatched away from him. 

Ben still remembers when his father broke the news that Paul had been murdered in the homophobic attack that happened when the two of them went out of town for the evening. He remembered sobbing at his funeral and his heart sinking with Paul’s coffin as it got lowered into the ground. It was so tempting for Ben to just curl up in the mud with Paul but part of him urged him to keep on living. Something was telling him that he had to keep on going.

So he did, even if there was no purpose as such. He could not understand how he did without Paul, but he did.

But he  _ refused _ to find love again. He did not even want to look or even come close to imagining about falling for another bloke. He simply did not want to. All the hookups and the men that he had a few dates with did not even come close, compared to Paul.

And that is what Ben called  _ sweet revenge  _ to the gods up above and for so called fate for taking his beloved. For taking  _ his _ Paul. He thought it was punishment for even loving him and fate had decided that enough was enough. 

So in response, he boldly stuck his middle finger up at fate and promised that he would never love or try to claim another man’s heart again. He could not let someone else die because of him and his decisions. For the first time in his life, he decided  _ not _ to be selfish. 

“You will find someone else one day,” his mother Kathy soothed him as they sat under a dim light in the living room one evening. The soft warm light echoing of his mum’s features, reflecting how much she has loved her whole life with her whole heart. “It will come when you least expect it.”

Ben always used to scoff when people used to say that to him. He did not want to find love,  _ unexpected or not _ . It did not suit him, he was not made to be loved. 

Though he could not deny having his own drink spilled over him as not  _ unexpected _ . He was standing at the bar at his local club called the E20. He was waiting for a friend and was salvaging the taste of the burning whiskey that ran like heaven down his throat when someone bashed into him. The remnants of the whiskey had tipped out of the tumbler glass like a slot machine and all down his shirt. 

Ben’s eyes snapped up towards the culprit who had wasted his money, “Watch it will ya,” he snaps fiercely, dark dilating his pupils. Similarly to the darkness that always swam in his heart and his soul. 

What he did not  _ expect _ was to be met with the most dazzling blue eyes that were full of wonder and mystery who had the most sincere smile despite just being shouted at. 

Ben was seeing in colour as he noted how the streams of flashing lights in the club were bouncing off of the guy’s face gloriously. A golden light surrounded him like he was the sunshine and just so happened to be burning Ben’s gaze. His hair was immaculate and styled to perfection and a light blue shirt and tight skinny jeans hugged his long frame. 

“I am so sorry,” the guy said in the most apologetic voice that caused Ben to swallow a lump in his throat because the guy sounded so genuine and for the first time, he had actually felt terrible. Because he just seemed so  _ lovely _ . 

Ben watched as the guy turned accusingly to his friend, sending sharp daggers his way as his friend covered his mouth up to cover an amused smirk. The guy sighed irritatedly and turned back to Ben, a flustered shade of red rising in his cheeks. “My mate was being an  _ idiot. _ Can I buy you another?” 

“No, it’s alright,” Ben gave a small smile, which had just come out of  _ nowhere _ . Normally he would take up the chance to get another drink, he would demand it even. He recalled almost getting in a fight once because a bloke spilled a drink all over him and outright refused to buy him another. 

But this felt different. 

“No I insist,” the guy put his hand out in front of him persistently and raised his hand, dancing in a tiny wave under the illumination of the room to get the barmaid’s attention. When the barmaid came over with a friendly smile he said, “Scotch on the rocks, please.”

Ben blinked and his mouth stood ajar before he looked back up at the guy, “How did you know that’s what I ordered?” He asked in surprise, his voice’s pitch floating up to a higher wave. 

“I don’t know,” the guy stuttered, the heat of the room swimming over him, the same feeling that passed through your body when you had sat in a sauna for too long. “It just came to my head. I take it I was right. God forbid if I got you the wrong drink,” he breathed out a nervous chuckle. His skin was tingling, heat rushing through his veins and up to his fingertips. 

Ben felt the ends of his lips pull up into a wide smile. He found the laugh so infectious that it made him smile instantly and his heart bubbled with fondness and like coming home and instantly being surrounded by a comfortable warmth. Something familiar. 

Ben watched as the drink got seated in front of him and Callum paid the barmaid.

“I’m Ben by the way,” Ben said, the introduction escaping his lips before he even had a chance to hold it back. Holding it back did not even cross his mind. This just felt  _ right _ . 

The guy turned back to him with a soft smile and he held out his hand, “I’m Callum.”

Ben returned the smile and took  _ Callum’s  _ offering hand and shook it. He could not ignore the sparks that felt like electric waves spiking at his skin and running through his veins, making his blood feel mellow and homely. 

“Nice to meet you,  _ Callum _ ,” Ben says cheekily, earning a light chuckle from Callum. They had caught each other’s eyes for a moment and for the first time, Ben had noticed how blue his eyes were and he felt a sudden gravitational pull to drown into those beautiful pools.

It was something cosmic, something that wouldn’t be spoken into existence because this feeling doesn’t exist. It is false, a feeling that is only made for stories with happy endings. And happy endings do not exist. Not in Ben’s world. 

“ _ Oi Callum! _ ” 

They started to hear voices again. Someone had burst the bubble that they had magically built around them and it slowly came tumbling down. Ben found himself following Callum’s movements as he saw a couple of men standing by the double doors of the club with bright and playful smiles and waving frantically. 

“Let’s get out of here,” one of the men shouted over. “That strip club won’t stay open all night!”

Callum flushed furiously at this and his stomach started to turn in knots, feeling bile rise up in his throat. Ben frowned at his unpleasant facial expression but for some unknown reason, his body started to fill with disappointment and he could feel his heart murmur sadly. He could not understand why, as he had only known this bloke for not even a minute. Well, he could not actually say that he even  _ knew _ him. 

Callum turned back to Ben with a half-hearted smile, “I better go then,” he says, sounding crestfallen. “See you around.” 

“See ya,” Ben smiles back in an attempt to hide the gut punching in his stomach. He found himself watching Callum exit the club and a chill started to run up his spine drastically and caused him to shiver, like a massive gush of wind had run into the club from the outdoors. 

“There you are,” a hand on his back dragged him away from his eyes being glued to the exit. He jolted and grinned as he came face to face with his friend. 

“Took your time didn’t you Tubbs,” Ben smirked as he took a sip of his drink, finding his hand cradling the glass like it was something precious and sentimental. Like it was fragile and it could easily break, like his heart that he refused to let anyone tamper with again. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting,  _ your majesty _ ,”  _ Tubbs _ responded, voice dripping with sarcasm as he caught the barmaid’s attention. “What happened to your shirt?” His eyes wandered down to the vivid and tinted wet patch that ran down Ben’s. shirt like some sort of camouflage. 

Ben looked down at his shirt, the memory still dancing in his mind before he looked back up to meet his friend’s eyes. “Oh it was nothing.”

Because logically, it really was  _ nothing _ . 

In fact, it did not even cross Ben’s mind for the rest of the evening. 

He forgot about the stain at the front of his shirt the once wet patch had dried up into something hard and scabby. Ben had enjoyed the rest of his evening; spending time with one of his good friends, feeling the sensational burn of the alcohol as it hit the back of the throat and laughter bubbled away at his chest and howled up to the top of the ceiling. 

And when he had finally returned home, his head instantly hit the pillow and he fell into a deep slumber, where he indulged in stealing himself away from the real world for a few long precious hours. Something well deserved. 

Through his closed eyes and opened mind, he pictured the most stunning mysterious blue eyes that sparkled brightly under the warm illuminating sky where a million stars twinkled. He could  _ feel  _ his hand graze up against soft prickly stubble, it felt like fairy dust at his fingertips. He moved forward into welcoming and succulent lips. Their lips danced under the moonlight like they were  _ made _ to fit together and it sent fireworks straight through his heart as his surroundings burst into bright vibrant colours. It was almost magical, like something that had been taken straight out of a fairytale. 

His dream self forcibly pulls himself away at an agonisingly slow pace, cautious of his heart that was beating sadly at the loss of contact that was slipping away from him inch by inch. His heart was tugging to come back in for more, to feel those lips brushing against his lips for a few more moments.

He was met with those mysterious blue eyes once again and a more vivid resemblance stood out under the twinkling stars as his mind zoomed out. His breath hitched and he could feel his heart stop for a single beat.

It was Callum. 

Ben woke up with a startled gasp as the sound of his alarm pierced through his eardrums, pulling him away from his dreams. He reached out and hit the alarm hard before everything fell to painful silence that just hung in the air. 

He felt his skin start to prickle with sweat as he just laid there. He still remembered the dream so graphically. He could still see Callum imprinted in his mind. He had only met this man for a minute last night but there he was, in his dreams and in his head and he could feel himself subconsciously reach out towards him as he had started to fade away. He wanted to claw him back into his reach. His body had fully returned from the slumber and had come back into reality as he wiped his eyes tiredly. 

The ghosts of Callum echoed throughout the room. 

_ His pretty blue eyes, his perfectly fitting lips, his endearing smile. _

All wrapped up warm in a surprisingly unexpected and captivating dream. 

  
He was in his mum’s cafe having breakfast with his friend and the mother of his child Lola and their daughter Lexi. They were both tucking into their all day breakfast and every few moments, Ben stole a glance at his beautiful little girl. with a fond smile as she drew, allowing her imagination to run wild.

He knew that Lola was most definitely  _ not _ his soulmate - that was Jay - but Ben always thanked his lucky stars that he had that silly experimentable encounter with Lola and got the chance to be a father as a result of it. They were both still so young but Ben had never felt a love like it. That he was able to pour every ounce of love that he could possibly contain into this one little human,  _ his baby girl _ .

Ben’s face wrinkled as he heard the door open, reminding himself to advise Kathy to put some oil on that door frame because the sound of the door was loud and interrupted his pondering mind that walks over to other worlds that are  _ far far away _ from the world he is living in now. 

He took another bite out of his sausage when he heard something familiar. And it was like it was all he could hear. He found himself imprisoned in a bubble where all he could hear was his voice. Not Lola waffling on about her job at the salon, not the sound of Lexi’s colouring pencils scratching lightly against the yellow coloured paper.  _ Just that voice.  _

A voice that felt like one of his musicals was playing out in his ears and sent a warm fire roaring in his chest. A voice where he could  _ hear _ his own heart beating through every vein in his body and came pounding out of his eardrums. 

Ben looked up and he found his breath hitching once again. His heart skipped a beat. His stomach started to twist into knots as butterflies were starting to perform a circus act. 

He was there.

The man from the club.

_ Callum _ .

Callum was standing at the counter being passed over a hot drink in a takeaway cup. He could hear him speaking to his mum Kathy so clearly, with the sort of smile that could light up any room. He could feel his voice rattling through the cafe walls, his lungs started to twist as he held his breath. Feeling that if he released the tiniest of breathes, Callum would float away, out of sight, so he held on. Something was telling him to  _ hold on _ . 

Ben sat frozen, like someone had pressed the pause button on his form and he was struck still and could not physically move. His blue eyes were piercing as he gazed at Callum, a gold shining orbit circulating around him. When he noticed how Callum was turning, he suddenly felt his hands go clammy and he swallowed a lump that was rising in his throat. He could feel himself start to blush furiously. He wanted to cower away, disguise himself to avoid the sheer embarrassment of what was about to happen because he could not seem to divert his eyes away from the tall man at the counter who wore the tightest jeans that really emphasised his butt and he also had some  _ amazing _ hair - he could tell that Callum took great pride in it. 

Then Callum was facing him. His ocean blue eyes were searching, the side of his face reflected against the morning light that was peeking through the blinds of the café windows making him look like something that had fallen from heaven. He was glowing with radiant energy and  _ perfection _ . 

Their piercing blue eyes swam together, talking a language that no one understood. Quite frankly, they could not quite understand it. They barely knew each other but seeing Callum settled something hot in Ben. A passionate fire that roared and was waiting to explode into his heart. 

His heart leaped when Callum slowly raised his hand and gave a small wave in recognition which was accompanied by a coy smile. Ben found himself mirroring his action, his hand coming up slowly and his fingers wriggling. 

The moment was broken after that. Someone had stolen Callum’s attention and suddenly he was out of sight, out of reach, but not out of mind. 

Never out of mind, and never out of his  _ heart _ . He found himself yearning after him, wanting to reach out and pull him back in, to be embraced by his sunshine and being tucked in like a warm comfort blanket. 

“ _ Ben _ _!_ ”

The bubble burst and drops of water started to spray as Ben returned to normality and he let out a breath. He turned to look at Lola who was raising her eyebrow expectedly, in waiting. 

“Sorry,” Ben sniffed. “What were you saying?”

Lola shook her head in disbelief and huffed, “It doesn’t matter. Who was that anyway?” She queried, nodding her head towards the entrance.

Ben followed Lola’s eye line and swallowed as his mind instantly filled with a certain person that for some absurd reason made his heart jump with glee. 

_ And it scared the shit out of him.  _

“Oh no one.” Because really he was, but his heart was screaming something totally different. “Just someone I bumped into last night at the club, he actually accidentally spilled a drink on me funny enough,” he let out a chuckle.

“And you’re on greeting smiles and waving terms after that?” Lola scoffs. “That doesn't sound like Ben Mitchell to me.”

No it didn’t seem like him  _ at all _ . But being under Callum’s light made him different, someone potentially better and he quite liked it. There were so many unanswered questions floating up in the air that he was unsure whether he would  _ ever  _ get any answers to.

“What are you drawing there, princess?” Ben averted his attention to Lexi who was drawing away happily, in her own imaginative little world.  _ Like father, like daughter.  _

“A castle and a prince,” Lexi stated, concentrating on getting the colouring precise as she stuck her little tongue out in concentration which was deemed adorable. 

“Is daddy the prince?” Ben stole another big bite of his sausage. 

“No, the prince is Jay,” Lexi responded matter of factly as she started to colour the  _ prince’s _ hair orange. “I’m going to draw mummy next to him as they are soulmates.”

_ Soulmates.  _ The word left a strange taste as it fizzled on Ben’s tongue, replacing the taste of the meat as Ben stopped chewing for a moment. For the first time, his heart thumped at the word. The word floated in the air like a bad smell, but it left Ben pondering.

  
  
  
  
  
  
Ben escaped the busy flurry of the market as it began its afternoon affairs as he bustled through the manic rush of people, balancing two coffees in his hands, and a bag of jam doughnuts were held securely under his arm. He quickened his steps as he walked through the Square gardens, breathing in the cold air as it came whistling out of his lips. A breath of relief escaped as the car lot stood high before his eyes. 

He passed through the cars that stood out front waiting to be taken to their new homes, and pushed his elbow down the door handle once he had reached the cabin. He pushed the door open with his hip and was hit with waves of talking which included  _ that voice _ .

The voice that cocooned his heart and set it racing. The voice that sounded like it was being set down from heaven. The voice that sounded so warm and soft that he could see some sort of light shining through. Something positive and was full of hope and possibilities. 

But why was he always hearing it?

Ben’s lungs knotted momentarily. He found his breath hitching in his throat again like it does  _ every time _ he is met with those particular blue eyes. Callum was sitting in the chair opposite Jay as they both sat at his desk. When Ben stepped into the cabin, those blue eyes dived into his like jumping into the sea from a cliff. A small polite smile was drawn on Callum’s lips. He could hear the click of an instant connection, like a matchstick being swiped against its box providing an instant flame. Like a fire being lit and burning into something warm and electrifying, immediately being consumed by a soothing aroma that bubbles through every vein. 

“Hello again,” Callum greeted, with a pleasantly surprised smile. 

Callum could feel his heart start to race as he was faced with the man who had similar blue eyes to him, but his eyes sparkled and the winter’s sun reflected on half of his face and he could see him so clearly. He looked so pure, the definition of bliss. He set a mellow feeling in his chest and he could feel the air in his lungs escape as he was faced with something wonderful. 

But his stomach filled with anticipation because he doesn’t even know this man. He had only spoken to him once, spilt a drink on him and bought him another but he felt like his heart burned with fire. 

“What are you doing here?” Ben blurted it out abruptly as he put the cups of coffee and doughnuts down on the desk. 

“Ben,” Jay scolded. He shot an apologetic look in Callum’s direction before returning to meet Ben’s eyes. “Mr Highway has just brought a car off us. You know that red ford fiesta out on the court.”

Red.  _ Like the red string of fate. _

“Sorry,” Ben shook his head with a nervous breathy chuckle. “I was just caught off guard. It’s manic out there!” He said distractedly, as he looked to the door. In hope of an escape, an escape to stop his stomach from knotting and his heart from leaping out of his throat and gullibly putting it on Callum’s lap. 

Ben turned back and met Callum’s eyes, quickly swallowing the lump that was rising in his throat. “It’s good to see you again. I’m so pleased that the car was right for you. It is an absolute pleasure doing business with you.” He put his hand out in front of Callum as fast as lightning, not giving him anytime to comprehend what he had just done. It was accompanied with a dashing smile that showed his usual charm.  _ The Ben Mitchell charm _ , some people say. 

Callum stretched his arm out and met Ben’s hand apprehensively. Both of their hearts stopped for a moment, like they were frozen in time. Their hands connecting felt electric, like two magnets gravitationally pulling towards each other.

“Sorry to interrupt the introductions,” Jay cleared his throat. 

Ben and Callum instantly pulled away, feeling an immediate loss of contact but they released a breath that they had not even known that their lungs were holding back. 

When they looked at Jay, Jay was looking directly at Ben, a hint of intriguement hidden in his eyes. “But Lanky texted me a few minutes ago,” he continues. “An alarm has gone off at the funeral parlour and he cannot seem to find the right code,” he finishes with a huff and roll of his eyes.

“Oh that's a shame, I bought you a jam doughnut,” Ben responds with disappointment in his voice but his mind wanders at how he could potentially indulge in two jam doughnuts this afternoon which is evident with the grin that is pulling at his lips. 

“It’s alright,” Jay licks his lips testingly but there is a hint of playfulness in his tone. “I’ll happily take the doughnut and coffee with me.” He adds and does not hesitate to swipe the doughnut and coffee from his desk. He turns to Callum, “It was an absolute pleasure doing business with you Mr Highway, I’m going to leave you here with my partner Ben who will help you sign the contracts.”

Ben and Callum’s eyes were hooked on the door as Jay made his exit, closing the door swiftly behind him. They let out silent breaths and turned back towards each other. 

Ben looks at Callum and when he feels Callum about to look at him, he quickly looks away and scratches his neck awkwardly while saying, “So, the contracts,” he says, noticing how they are already laid out on the desk. 

He sits down in Jay’s chair and rests his hand on the forms that had just been printed as he felt the warmth hit his fingertips, like they were not already tingling.

When Ben looked up, he found Callum’s eyes lingering on him, searching his face, waiting. Ben grabbed a pen and placed it on the forms. He twists the forms in Callum’s direction so they are the right way up and pushes them towards him, “If you could fill out and sign the below section, that would be great.”

“Sure,” Callum nods and picks up the pen. “Excuse me for asking, but does your partner run the funeral parlour?”

“Yes he does,” Ben answers as he grabs his takeaway cup and blows on the top after he takes off the lid. “Sometimes I’m left here to hold the fort if he’s called off on an errand or a funeral. But I don’t mind as we are business partners after all. I own the garage round the corner so any issues with the car, just give us a bell and we’ll take a look.”

A chord strikes in Ben where he has to take a pause. This is a complete stranger and he is revealing parts of his life, removing a layer of skin that holds him together. 

“That’s funny,” Callum comments as he scribbles on part of the form. “Because my brother Stuart has just a job in the funeral parlour and we have just moved into the flat above.”

Ben swallows.  _ Of course he has.  _

He could feel his heart quicken. His eyes bored into Callum’s. Something dark and something intense was swimming in them like he was looking at something desirable. This stranger who appeared in his wildest dreams and who he has seen in passing every day since that night in the club made his heart pace and fire come shooting through his veins as butterflies fluttered in his stomach. 

Even when Callum looked up, Ben could not seem to draw his eyes away and neither could Callum. They found their eyes almost drowning in each other’s. Callum could feel his hands starting to go clammy as he gripped the pen. Callum ended their gaze with a smile that ended up being full of dimples, which made Ben feel weak at the knees before his eyes went back to focusing on the forms. Ben took a long satisfying swig of his fresh coffee, but it was not as satisfying as the fire that filled his heart and made him feel  _ alive _ .

Ben led Callum over to the red ford fiesta and handed him the keys. He stood back as he watched Callum get in the car and start to rev up the engine. Ben could feel his heart sink with a sense of longing and he was filled with disappointment. Words wanted to escape his lips before Callum left but they were trapped. His heart was thumping, eager for him to explore but uncertainty was holding him back. He eagerly wanted to uncover what Callum Highway was all about as the fire had never roared so loudly and burned in his chest but that chance was slipping away as the car drove away, and Callum was getting further out of reach. 

The invisible red string of fate was getting longer. But that was unknown to them. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


He hadn’t seen Callum for a couple of days since that encounter and the skies have never looked greyer and his heart had never sank so low. He suddenly felt a sense of loneliness, and he could suddenly feel the cold become more bitter than before. He found himself missing something that he never had. He was  _ hoping _ that him and Callum would have crossed paths by now. Hoping that he would run into the same  _ stranger _ , that their horizons would meet once again. But Ben found himself still waiting for that day. 

It was the end of another day and the skies were covered with a thick navy blue sheet and the moonlight bounced off different reflections. 

The end of another day and Ben had had  _ enough _ . Having endless complaints from the rare unsatisfied customers of the car lot because they’re not used to the brakes of their new motor to always feeling like he is not good enough for his dad, he had to get out of the house. He even had Kathy almost chew his ear off about how she is worried about his half-brother Ian travelling around the world in hope of finally finding his soulmate. 

But that’s not a burden that’s pressing down on his chest. He’s hoping that Ian goes as far in the world as possible and doesn’t bounce back like some boomerang in Australia. 

The force that Ben uses to push the back gate to the Mitchell household open would shake the entire square. He marched with purpose across the Square, his eyes glistened over with a familiar darkness that is like second nature to him, full of determination and purpose. The bold sign of the Queen Victoria pub sign was in his eye line and a sudden thirst settled in his stomach, needing some sort of sustenance, something to drown the day away. 

Ben pushed open the door with force, a few heads turning in his direction. The roaring mundane atmosphere of his local hit as soon as he stepped into the boozer and it soothed him, even if it was just for a moment. The tightness that he felt in his lungs because of the bubbling tension loosened slightly. He saw Jay and Lola up the bar smiling and laughing comfortably with the odd fleeting touch, in their happy bubble which Ben was about to burst through like a pin.

From over Jay’s shoulder, Lola could see Ben through her long thick eyelashes and flashed him a sweet smile, shiny pink lip gloss coating her lips. 

“ _ Oh there he is _ ,” she notes in surprise, sucking what Ben can only assume is  _ her usual vodka and lemonade _ through a straw. He strides over to them, resting half of his body up against the bar, clapping Jay on the back in brotherly greeting.

“Took your time, didn’t you,” Lola adds.

“Yes, well that’s what happens when you are put on your child’s bedtime duty most days,” Ben says bittersweetly, sending a disdainful smirk her way.

“It’s not my fault she will only settle for you,” Lola grumbles in response.

“Well maybe you should start getting better at the voices then,” Ben criticises playfully. He turns towards the bar, getting the attention of the barmaid Tracey and politely orders himself a drink. 

Lola rolls her eyes in defeat and a quiet huff escapes her lips. She looks up to find Ben was looking across the bar with a cocky smirk etched on his lips,  _ his signature look _ .

“Go on then, how many stories did it take before she  _ actually  _ went to sleep?” 

“I actually made up my own story,” Ben starts, pride ringing in his voice, his index finger pointing towards the side of his brain and a smirk still held firmly on his lips. He quickly diverts his gaze to the barmaid who puts his pint down in front of him and he responds with a  _ thanks darling _ , before turning back to Jay and Lola. 

“Yeah, I decided to lay off the Princess and the Frog and the hundreds of other books she has for one night,” he continues, stealing a quick sip of his beer and taking pleasure in the warming sensation that trickles down his throat. “So I made my own story up, about fairies and a magic castle. Chapter two is tomorrow.”

“Oh so that’s you signed up for bedtime duties again tomorrow is it?” Lola perks up, a bright smile on her face and quiet laughter vibrating in her chest. 

“No, chapter two will be written by _her_ _mummy dearest_ ,” Ben quips smugly before swallowing a large gulp of beer. 

A chuckle escapes Jay’s lips, looking between his soulmate and his best friend who has practically been a brother to him for most of his life. Lola looked flabbergasted as she looked towards Ben with her mouth stood agape and a soft gasp running from her mouth. 

“ _ Why me _ ?” Lola squeals in disbelief. “I’m no good!”

“Well I suggest you get that imagination of yours ticking,” Ben states feasibly, smiling smugly. “If you have one.” He quickly adds. 

Lola scoffs and shoves Ben’s arm playfully, Jay roaring with laughter because Ben was in the middle of stealing another sip of his pint and the force made some of the liquid tip overboard, dripping down the sides of the glass. 

“ _ Lo! _ ” Ben spluttered, quickly swallowing the liquid and holding the glass at arm’s length. 

Once the laughter and shock had died down and turned into atoms, Jay looked across the pub and a look of recognition washed over him as he noticed someone familiar from the car lot from a few days ago slouched over the other side of the bar. 

“Oh look who it is Ben,” Jay mocks with a playful spring in his voice. “That customer from the car lot a few days ago, you know the one who you were pretty blunt with.”

Faster than lightning, Ben’s head flicked to where Jay was looking. And there he was. And the fire ignited and spread across Ben’s chest again, igniting hundreds of flames, as his eyes caught a long glimpse of Callum Highway. 

His heart starts to kick out of his chest, trying to wriggle it’s way out of his chest like a small child wanting to be put down and run to its next target. Despite Callum looking down into his pint glass and watching how the beer danced around the glass, his face looking rather sorrowful, his heart could not help but think how he was his  _ golden target _ . 

Ben found his breath being tied up in ribbons as he felt his heart tugging like it was playing a game of tug of war with his mind and dare he say...fate. He felt a tug of wanting to reach out towards Callum and be enveloped in whatever his heart was yearning for. 

“Ha, that’s the same guy who we saw at the cafe a few days ago as well!” Ben could hear Lola breath out a laugh in disbelief and banging her perfectly manicured hand on the bar lightly. 

Lola and Jay talking amongst themselves seemed distant even though they were only inches apart from him. It was like they were at the other end of a tunnel and their voices were coming out like echoes. 

But Ben remained still, like he had physically been frozen in that moment. The moment where his eyes clocked Callum from across the room and were thrown in their own bubble, where it was just the two of them. It was like Callum knew that Ben was there as his eyebrows twitched in the reflection of his pint glass before he turned to look at him. The sorrow that was painted on his face had faded into something else, like the colours of this sorrowful painting had run down the page and turned into something soft, something tender. There was something mysterious and mystical embedded in Callum’s ocean blue eyes that lured him and drew him in.

They were drowning into each other’s oceans and it was like the pressure of the water was pulling them in deeper and deep into each other’s souls.

And Ben didn’t know why. It made his heart scream as he dreaded to think. It was frightening because he had never felt fireworks go off in his stomach, he had never felt hot electric blood run through his veins, he had never felt the impact of his running heart wanting to break out free from his chest like it was running a marathon and was so close to the finish line. 

It felt like Ben’s heart was doing a high jump in the middle of that marathon when Callum smiled at him. A brilliant smile which showed the cutest dimples that made Ben’s finger twitch, wanting to reach out and prod it. He also felt a pull to prod his lips with his. 

Ben masked his smile behind the rim of his pint glass as he took another sip. He felt a warm sensational rush run through his body which Ben couldn’t determine whether it was because he had already drunk over a quarter of his pint, or because of  _ the Callum effect _ .

“ _ Ben… _ ”

Someone had pressed play on the remote again. And Ben was back in the room. Amongst all the loud chatter, the laughter that hit the roof and the random music that was blaring out of the duke box in the corner.

“Welcome back,” Jay grins. “Finally come back to the real world, have we.” 

_ The real world. _ The real world that is just cold and grey, whereas the world he sees in Callum’s eyes is warm and soft and all kinds of good. 

Ben breathes out a nervous chuckle and sniffs, “Yeah sorry, zoned out for a minute.”

“I was just asking whether you wanted to sit in that booth over there,” Lola prompted, her brow raised expectantly, like she had been waiting for Ben’s response. 

“Yeah alright,” Ben shrugs nonchalantly. Ben turns around and sees the empty booth that Lola had directed him to.

It was the booth that Callum pretty much had his back to and as Ben walked with Jay and Lola, he tried to ignore the beating of his heart that was just getting  _ louder, louder and louder  _ as he got closer to Callum, like his heart was responding to him and getting close to its desire. 

Ben was dipping in and out of conversation once he was settled in the booth with Jay and Lola with drinks healthily flowing. But he wasn’t paying attention most of the time. Not when his heart was achingly wanting to reach out towards the bar as Callum still stood there, surrounded by his thoughts. It was like Callum could feel Ben’s eyes burning into his back as Callum was turning around too, their eyes connecting like two jigsaw puzzle pieces that are made to fit together but it hasn’t quite been figured out yet. 

“We’re going to head back now,” Lola announces. “And we think you should talk to that pretty boy at the bar.” 

“What?” Ben chuckled in disbelief. “Why?”

“Because you haven’t stopped looking at him all night,” Lola grins.

“Yeah bruv, it was like I was just having a few drinks out with Lola,” Jay adds with a smirk. “Would have been cheaper just getting a bottle of wine in.” 

Jay is met with a playful shove by Lola but they are soon reuniting with loving gazes and endearing smiles. It makes Ben feel warm that his two best friends are happy, that they are in love and they found that they were  _ soulmates _ . 

It scared him that the tall man who was still standing at the bar could potentially be his. Lola must have noticed the change in Ben’s expression and she leant over and squeezed his hand. 

“It’s okay,” she said gently. 

“I’m scared,” Ben admits hoarsely. For years he had built a shelter around himself that no one could ever break down. The fact that he could let someone in again and everything could come crashing down around him again - causing the shelter to burn down - he wasn’t sure that he would be able to build it back up again and create a home for himself to keep him safe and enclosed from his feelings. 

“Ben, you are  _ perfectly capable _ of finding your own men. We all know that,” Lola starts. “But if I didn’t think that there was something... _ there _ , then I wouldn’t be convincing you to talk to him. This could be your shot.  _ Finally _ .”

A light breath blew out of Ben’s lips as he tried to compose himself. “Alright,” he breathes out. “Don’t wait up,” he finishes cheekily, quickly shoving his vulnerable side away back down that had the audacity to creep back up for a moment. 

  
  


Once Jay and Lola had left, Ben took a deep breath as he looked back at Callum, his stomach bubbling in anticipation. Like a reflex, Callum sensed Ben looking at him and turned round, a small smile on his lips. 

Ben’s eyes gestured to the seat beside him, the offer coming natural and easy to him. Callum took a moment to process what was going on before grabbing his pint and taking the seat beside Ben. 

The closeness felt like two pieces of a jigsaw coming together and fitting perfectly. It sent a tick shooting straight through both of their hearts, like a firecracker being lit up and they were seeing bright colours, and it looked spectacular as they sat under the beamed glow of the pub to cover the darkness that was painted outside the doors. 

“So what brings you here?” Ben inquired casually, taking another drag of his beer that was reaching its end and now looked like a brown foggy puddle at the bottom of his glass. 

“A date actually,” Callum responds timidly, his fingers grazing his own knee as he looks down nervously. 

“ _ Oh _ .” Ben responds. His heart dropped, feeling like it was sinking lower, deeper than the pit of his stomach and to somewhere darker like the black hole, where you could feel the wave of loneliness wash over you. Ben once again felt isolated from the rest of the world. After all, what could he expect because he wasn’t like anyone else, he wasn’t supposed to be loved. He was an outcast. He wasn’t supposed to have a  _ soulmate _ . 

“But he cancelled on me last minute,” Callum quickly clarified, reassurance flashing across his eyes as he met Ben’s. Ben knew the exact second that his heart opened and let out a sigh of relief before fluttering in contentment again. “Yeah, text me while I was in here - found his  _ soulmate _ . 

“Oh well I’m sorry to hear that,” Ben sympathises, allowing the words to roll off his tongue, but was he sorry?  _ Really? _ Because he did not feel sorry, in fact it just made his heart race even more.

“It’s alright,” Callum smiles genuinely. “I’m happy for him. Everyone deserves to find their soulmate. I’m more than happy to continue searching for mine.” 

Something passionate shot through both of their hearts as their eyes connected. They could see fire behind them that was burning something beautiful. It felt like they were two logs hugging together and were keeping the blazing fire going. It was a peculiar feeling but a feeling that felt so extraordinary. So right. 

Maybe Callum was right when he spoke those words into existence. Maybe everyone did deserve to find their soulmate. Maybe  _ he _ deserved to have a soulmate. It still breaks Ben’s heart that Paul got snatched away from him before they barely began, that he could not have forever with him, but looking at Callum set something endearing in his heart. It was something he had never felt before but it felt incredible, a sense of belonging, a sense of coming home. 

“Maybe we’re both still searching,” Ben comments, trying to flirt but his voice came out hoarse because he was trying to prevent his heart from coming out of his throat.  _ Not yet. _ He needs to know more about this Callum Highway first. 

When their eyes connected, albeit there was a fire roaring but it was soothing, calming even, something that Ben hadn’t felt for a long time. If he was honest, he had never felt calm. But for the first time, the world was lifted from his shoulders because now that he was sitting here with Callum by his side, he could no longer see the darkness. Callum was the ice that burnt out the raging fire that always danced angrily through every cell in Ben’s body. He could no longer feel the darkness, he could not even reach close to try and grab it back. He didn’t want to.

As they continued looking into each other’s eyes, searching, they saw the many layers of each other that were camouflaged amongst the skies of a hidden rainforest. But something embedded inside them felt like they already _ knew _ . 

“Maybe,” Callum repeats, his voice so soft that you could hear the drop of a pin but  _ they wouldn’t _ . Because right at that very second, in that very moment, it was just the two of them. 

“I don’t know about you but my pint is looking rather depressing,” Ben states holding up his empty pint glass. “You fancy another?” 

Callum nods eagerly, a bright smile on his face. Ben finds himself returning the smile, his heart feeling fuzzy as it bounced on his ribs before going back up to the bar.

  
  
  
  


It was an understatement to say they got on like a house on fire. Despite their roaring hearts that were creating a fire between them, igniting many eternal flames all warm and homely, it felt like they had known each other their whole lives. They were laughing together, chatting animatedly amongst themselves and even dared the odd harmless touch of the other in gesture. Though it didn’t stop both of their hearts from racing.

Ben swore that his heart stopped when Callum told him about Chris, a man who Callum thought was his soulmate but died in the army. A story that felt so close to Ben’s heart because he felt exactly the same about Paul. Callum had been through the  _ same experience _ . Like Ben, Callum looked like someone who has constantly been battling and just wanting an escape, wanting to run. He had the scars to prove it. Maybe they both did not have to run anymore. Maybe they could seek solace in each other, _ in their destinies _ .

The pub started to feel stuffy and they both wanted to move on elsewhere, let the cold air hit their bodies and be greeted to the smell of chips and a crisp winter’s evening. Strangely enough, the chip shop was where they were heading. 

“Yeah, my nephew Bobby is currently managing things at the chippy at the moment,” Ben tells him as they are strolling through the ghostly market. Silver poles resembling the stalls and their evening’s worth, taking downtime before the busy day tomorrow. “My half-brother Ian is currently travelling the world, in hope of finding his soulmate. Mind you, he’s been married more times than Henry the eighth.” 

Callum’s joyful laugh awakens the quiet night of Albert Square as his eyes squint up to the sky. He notices how the stars are looking much brighter this evening, how they sparkled clear silver and gold and how they were aligned perfectly. It felt like the stars were whispering to them both as the dots finally joined to connect their worlds together, creating something celestial, something electrifying.

“You okay?” Ben checks in, noting how quiet Callum suddenly was. He followed Callum’s eye line as his eyes followed its way up to the stars. As they both stood to a stand still, it took Ben’s breath away as he looked up to witness how alluring the sky looked and how the stars were shining down on them, reflecting onto their eyes. 

“Yeah,” Callum swallowed. He slowly diverted his eyes away from the sky and looked back down to Ben, Ben instantly coming to meet them. “It’s crazy and this is going to sound crazy-” Callum tried to shake himself out of it, heat starting to travel up to his cheeks.

“ _ I like crazy, _ ” Ben affirms, noting how beautiful Callum’s rosy flushed cheeks looked under the twinkling stars.

Callum takes a deep breath, mirroring Ben’s smile as Ben smiles at Callum reassuringly, “Since that night at the club, we keep running into each other for some mysterious reason. And now tonight...do you think the universe is trying to tell us something?” 

Fate gave Ben and Callum that final shove, they were almost there.  _ So close. _

A wide flirtatious smirk pulls at Ben’s lips, his eyes sparkling with passion as he looks directly at Callum. He licks his lips, “Shall we find out?” 

A few hesitant seconds and a few bubbles in their stomach of anticipation later and they took the plunge. They slowly dived towards each other’s lips, the feel of their lips connecting ignited fireworks coming out of their hearts. It couldn’t have felt more perfect, so fitting. It was like their lips were meant to be there. Their lips tingled as they drowned in the feel and the taste. They both sighed into the kiss but they continued clinging on, their hands coming to touch any part of the other’s body that they could reach as they breathed life into one another. 

It turned out that they were not hungry for chips in the end as they looked at each other with blazing looks before running out into the night and back to Callum’s flat. 

They entered Callum’s bedroom, fire and lust simmering in the pits of their stomachs. Ben chased Callum’s lips hungrily as he guided them onto the bed. Their clothes slowly got demolished and they littered the bedroom floor whilst Ben and Callum completely got lost in each other. 

They were just two dancing silhouettes under the moon’s light that was seeping through the curtains, but to Ben and Callum, this felt like everything. They were everything that they had been waiting for their whole lives. 

When they finally connected with Ben’s back snuggling deep into the duvet with Callum over him, their eyes burning and silently speaking between the two of them, it felt like something else. It was setting off  _ firework after firework _ creating something exquisite and passionate. A fire would dance healthily with the burning of those two souls coming and rubbing off together. 

It felt like something whole, that they were finally complete. 

_ I think I’m in love with you. _

Ben and Callum’s lips had not moved, never uttered a word but looking at each other, performing the art of love, they had started to speak through each other’s minds. They could see everything there was to see about each other, every layer and every page to their story.

They had barely known each other. But this felt real. It was a connection so beautiful that you would not speak it into existence, but it really was magical.

It was so magical because now they have taken that leap and reached the finish line, they finally understood what everyone kept saying about soulmates and it was the best feeling in the world. They really felt like they were in love. 

_ I think I’m in love with you too.  _

That was the magic and the beauty of soulmates. 

When Ben and Callum lay side by side, succumbing to the bliss of the aftermath with their hands intertwined, Ben and Callum looked to each other and smiled almost shyly. Their eyes glistened over and their hearts were thumping out of their chests. They could not quite believe that this was their time now. They had finally found each other and it was perfect. They were besotted with each other and could not imagine their lives without the other.

“It’s scary isn’t it,” Callum comments up at the ceiling, silent breaths escaping his lungs to compose himself from the overwhelming tickle of his heart.

“Good scary or bad scary?” Ben enquiries with a quirk of his eyebrow and a soft smile.

“Good scary,” Callum confirms, his cheeks flushing a radiant pink and his smile shining so bright that those dimples were showing again.

Ben leaned forward and kissed one of those dimples tenderly. When he looked back, Ben’s eyes were shining with love. “Good scary,” Ben repeats, smiling devotedly. “Me too. But it’s amazing.  _ The best _ , even.” 

Callum nods in agreement. It was scary but they knew that this was perfectly meant to be. They had been looking for this feeling for half of their lives and now that they had it and could see the whole of their lives embedded in each other’s eyes, they never wanted to let it go. Their hearts were pulsing delightedly and beamed with love at the idea of this being the start of the rest of their lives.

They are each other’s person and this was for life, they had each other forever now. 

Maybe fate wasn’t such a bad thing after all, because it sent them to where they had always belonged - to the person that they were always supposed to be with - and most of all, it sent them  _ home _ .

__

**Author's Note:**

> please leave your kudos/comments to let me know what you thought - it honestly does mean the absolute world to me! 
> 
> tumblr: calsangel  
> come and say and scream about ballum with me<3
> 
> much love xx


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